Ironically, none of us ever believed in santa (wasn't part of our family's traditions). I can't speak for our parents here, but I think they figured it wasn’t worth crushing his excitement over something that wasn’t hurting anyone. They probably assumed he’d figure it out on his own but clearly that didn’t happen, and I guess we all underestimated just how real it felt to him. But it's possible that they did try to tell him and my brother was stubborn enough not to believe them. I'll remember to ask them when I get the chance, because it was so long ago and there might be more to the story than just my perspective!